§ 3. Sir STEPHEN COLLINSasked the Secretary of State for War if he will make inquiries into the case of P. B. Jordan, a conscientious objector, who is now undergoing a sentence of ten years' penal servitude as a result of his conscientious objection to military service; whether this man and the other men who are serving a similar sentence for the same cause are suffering physical ill-effects from their sentence; and whether, in view of the promise recently made by the Prime Minister, he will consider the advisability of releasing these men on furlough until their case can be reheard by the Central Appeal Tribunal?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Mr. Forster)In answer to the first portion of the hon. Member's question I would refer him to my reply to 1619 him of the 7th August. I cannot undertake to make any special inquiries as to the state of health of soldiers in prison in view of the fact that ample provision already exists for ensuring that the health of prisoners is observed whilst undergoing sentence. I am not aware to what the hon. Member alludes when he refers to a promise recently made by the Prime Minister, and I cannot consider the release of these men on furlough. I take this opportunity of stating that the only soldiers on furlough are those whose cases were not reached by the Central Tribunal during the currency of their sentence.
§ Mr. KINGIs the hon. Gentleman aware that one or two men sentenced only last week by court-martial are already placed on furlough, although their sentences are not completed?
§ Mr. FORSTERNo, Sir, I am not aware of that fact.
§ 28. Mr. MORRELLasked the President of the Local Government Board whether, at a sitting of the Purley Local Tribunal on 31st July, four applicants named Sparks, Alexander, Armfield, and Narraway expressed willingness to undertake work of national importance; that in each case exemption was refused, and that before the same tribunal on the same day five men named Collier, Knight, Beasley, Mennell, and Peaice, stated that they were not able conscientiously to accept work of national importance as a condition of exemption, and were then exempted from combatant service and from non-combatant service if within twentyone days they found work of national importance; and whether the tribunal is carrying out the intentions of the Government, which were that an appellant was to be given that form of exemption fitted to his case?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Hayes Fisher)My right hon. Friend has nothing to add to the reply which he gave on Thursday last to a question by the hon. Member for the Attercliffe Division beyond stating that the tribunal after hearing the cases came to different conclusions as to the genuineness of the objections of the two groups of claimants.
§ 29. Mr. MORRELLasked the President of the Local Government Board if he will 1620 have inquiries made into the cases of two conscientious objectors, Archie Victor Hobart and Cecil Arthur Hobart, of 1, Romany Road, Norwich; if he is aware that these two men, after appealing to the local and Appeal Tribunals, were exempted from combatant service but refused leave to appeal to the Central Tribunal; that on 19th and 20th May they sent in applications to the local tribunal for reviews of their certificates as they were willing to do work of national importance; that on 9th June both were arrested and handed over to the military authorities and subsequently sentenced to 112 days' hard labour on 21st June; that on 24th June the father of these men received notices for them to appear before the local tribunal on the. 28th June; and that in their absence, owing to detention in Maidstone Prison, the cases were adjourned; and whether they are still in prison and their cases not yet disposed of by the local tribunal?
§ Mr. HAYES FISHERThe fact that a man holding a certificate of exemption from combatant service has applied for a review of his certificate does not preclude the military authorities from calling up the man for non-combatant service, nor are they bound to allow the man to appear at the hearing of his application for a review. I may inform the hon. Member that I understand that the cases of these two men have come before the Central Tribunal under the scheme outlined by the Prime Minister.
§ 20. Mr. THOMASasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the event of the proposals of the Home Office Committee for the employment of conscientious objectors embracing industries where the hours, conditions, and wages are governed by trade union regulations and agreements, the proposals will be submitted to the trade unions affected for their comment?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Herbert Samuel)I understand that the Committee do not anticipate that any appreciable number of the men referred to them by the Central Tribunal will be employed in industries where trade union regulations and agreements are operative, but in any case the Committee do not intend that individual employers shall benefit at the expense of the community by obtaining the labour of these men at cheaper rates than they would otherwise 1621 have to pay. I cannot undertake on behalf of the Committee that they will submit any of their proposals to the trade unions (if any) who may be concerned; but I can undertake that any suggestions which any trade union concerned may make to the Committee with a view to the fulfilment of the principle stated above will be welcomed by them.
§ 42. Colonel YATEasked the Postmaster-General whether he has sanctioned conscientious objectors being retained in the Post Office; and, if not, now that such cases have been brought to notice, he will take steps to remove such men from Government employ?
§ Mr. SAMUELThe Postmaster-General has asked me to answer this question on his behalf. He has arranged with the Committee on Work of National Importance that Post Office servants who obtain exemption from military service on grounds of conscientious objection, conditionally on performing work of national importance, may, with the concurrence of the local tribunal, be allowed to remain on their Post Office duties. A Post Office servant who is a conscientious objector is required to appeal to the local tribunal; exemptions are not granted on grounds of conscience by the Post Office.